Tribune Entertainment/Summary
Background: Tribune Entertainment was a television production and syndication company owned by the Tribune Company. Many programs offered by Tribune Entertainment had been broadcast on the company's television stations. When Tribune started in 1975 with its first offering, the WGN Chicago-based U.S. Farm Report, they did not yet have a logo. On 1980-82 episodes of Soul Train, there was an in-credit text, and announcer Sid McCoy would be heard saying “This has been a Don Cornelius (Television) Production in association with Tribune Entertainment”. Then in 1984, Tribune got a logo separate from the end credits. On December 2007, Tribune Company closed Tribune Entertainment for good. Many of the shows it distributed have gone to other syndicators (for example: Soul Train and American Idol Rewind have switched to Trifecta Entertainment and Media. The Best of Soul Train however, was canceled in 2008. Others like Family Feud and syndie reruns of South Park have switched to Debmar-Mercury with ad-sales by 20th Television). However, Tribune Broadcasting is still alive as Tribune still focuses on its television stations. 1st Logo (1984-1987) Nicknames: "T Stack", “80s T Stack”, "Blue T Stack" Logo: On a plain black background, we pan and zoom through some royal blue bars. As they rotate around, they reveal themselves to be part of a “T” made of stacked asymmetrical gemstones. When it turns to face the viewer in the center of the screen, it shines a little, then immediately moves to the left to make room for the italicized and stacked words “TRIBUNE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY", which fade in on the right side of the screen, next to the "T." Variants: *Sometimes, a copyright notice appears on the bottom of the screen. *There was a variant of this logo without "COMPANY" used interchangeably. *Tales from the Darkside: On this show, "BROADCASTING" replaces "ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY". *Comedy Break: On this short-lived show from 1985-1987, chyroned copyright stamp for Tribune and Viacom Enterprises was seen over both this logo and the warp speed videotaped Viacom “V of Doom” one that followed. *Dempsey and Makepeace: On the U.S. syndication run of this show, a saxophone stinger based on the theme music played over both the London Weekend Television Colour Production and Tribune Entertainment IDs, separated by an “In Association With” screen. FX/SFX: The “T” zooming and the word “TRIBUNE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY” appearing. Cheesy Factor: Simple early CGI. The “T” design is quite ugly and the animation is crude, not to mention the dark background. Music/Sounds: Either the ending theme or just silence. Availability: Rare. It's seen on Soul Train, Tales From the Darkside, Comedy Break, At The Movies, and Dempsey and Makepeace reruns from the period whenever someone decides to show them. Scare Factor: Low. 2nd Logo (1987-1990) Nicknames: "T Stack II", "80s T Stack II", "CGI T Stack" Logo: On a lavender stone background, we see the "T" from before, only in light blue/silver color pans downward and zooms out towards the screen, then the stack rotates, then the logo flashes, then the "T" rotates again, and zooms out and the word "TRIBUNE ENTERTAINMENT Company" appears next to the "T". Variants: *There is a short version where it skips to the flash of the "T". *Sometimes, a copyright notice appears below. FX/SFX: CGI animation. Cheesy Factor: An improvement over the first logo, but the background looks like a scrunched up piece of paper. Music/Sounds: Only the ending theme of the show, but sometimes silent. Availability: Seen on What a Country!, Soul Train, Geraldo, the final season of Tales from the Darkside on Chiller, and the first two seasons of Monsters also on Chiller. Scare Factor: Low. 3rd Logo (1988) Nicknames: "T Stack III", "T of Steel", "T Stack of Steel" Logo: On a dark background, we see two sets of gemstones, staked to reflect the "T" like the previous logos, shown on its side, and would later start to shine. The set of gemstones on the left pan down and zooms downward, revealing the T from before. The word "TRIBUNE ENTERTAINMENT" in chrome then fades in. FX/SFX: TBA. Cheesy Factor: Same as the 1st logo. Music/Sounds: The end theme with an announcer saying "Tribune Entertainment" at the end. Availability: Extinct. Only appeared on 1988 episodes of At the Movies with Rex Reed and Dixie Whatley. Scare Factor: Low. The announcer may startle some. 4th Logo (1989-1996) Nicknames: "T Stack IV", “90s T Stack”, "Silver T Stack", "CGI T Stack II" Logo: On a gray stone background, we see close-ups of some rectangular gemstones, turning one by one towards the screen and forming the “T” looking similar to the 1st logo. Simultaneously, the italicized and stacked brass words “TRIBUNE ENTERTAINMENT” zoom-out and settle to the right. Variants: *Sometimes, a copyright stamp fades in below. The font of the copyright stamp may also differ. *On local newscasts, the word "BROADCASTING" replaces "ENTERTAINMENT". *There is a version where the stacks zoom downward and forms the "T". FX/SFX: The “gemstones” turning, and the words “TRIBUNE ENTERTAINMENT” zooming-out. Music/Sounds: A generic ascending synclavier sounder, silence, or the end theme finishing it. Availability: Seen on reruns of Soul Train on Centric, Geraldo, the third and final season of Monsters on Chiller, and other programs of that time. Scare Factor: Low. 5th Logo (1996-2007) Nicknames: “Turning Letters”, "The Tribune Studio" Logo: On a letterboxed dark blue background, we see the shadow of a camera operation crane moving with a cameraman on it inside the the former Tribune Studios (located at KTLA 5 in Los Angeles, now "Sunset Bronson Studios"). We also see shadows of a studio. Simultaneously, the silver letters in the following order "T", "R", "I", "B", "U", "N", and "E", turn onto the screen (when we get to the "U", the word “ENTERTAINMENT” embossed in a silver rectangle zooms out and settles below). Variants: *Sometimes, a copyright stamp is seen under the logo. *The short version of this logo already has the logo formed when it starts. *Another version has "Media Sales by" superimposed over the logo. *There is an early variant where the "TRIBUNE" text is in pink or in multiple colors, a copyright notice is shown below. FX/SFX: The turning letters, and the “ENTERTAINMENT” text bar zooming. Music/Sounds: A 9-note majestic tune with bells, followed by a dramatic note at the end. Music/Sounds Variant: The short variant plays the last note or the 5 notes, the closing theme, the generic theme, or none. Availability: Rare. It was previously common on many shows including Gene Roddenberry adaptations (Earth: Final Conflict, Andromeda) and 2000s episodes of Soul Train and Family Feud. Also appeared on edited South Park episodes and the former DiC Kids Block syndicated on local stations. It's retained on Archie's Weird Mysteries and Sherlock Holmes in the 22nd Century on Qubo. It was also used on the last 3 seasons of Geraldo (becoming The Geraldo Rivera Show in its final 2 seasons), while the "Media Sales By" version was seen on Animal Rescue. Unfortunately, a lot of these shows are gone outside of tape trading. Scare Factor: Low. This logo is beautifully animated and orchestrated. The creepy-looking camera operation crane's silhouette on the dark sky may unnerve some though. The short version may startle some, though, with its sudden dramatic note.